Possessive od-DP in Colloquial Sloven
- Jurij Božič, University of Ljubljana and Maša Močnik, University of Ljubljana
- Glendinning Lecture Theatre 2D67, UWE Bristol
In colloquial Slovene, possession is expressed with an od-headed PP, here termed od-DP, which resembles the English of-phrase (wheel [of the car]). The literature on the construction is practically non-existent: a passing mention is found in Toporišič (2000), or Priestly (1993). The present analysis presents its most general characteristics: we discuss its semantics, (1)–(2), and its position in the linear ordering of the DP elements (Cinque 2005), (3).
1. avto [od Janeza] : obraz [od Janeza] (possession : partitive)
car of John face of John
2. slika [od Janeza] (possessor ~ agent ~ theme)
picture of John
3. tisti trije rdeči svinčniki [od Janeza] (Dem>Num>A>N>od-DP)
those three red pencils of
The data has been checked with two experienced native speaker linguists; however, since our work is still in progress, we intend to enrich our battery of tests and consult a number of informants to better understand the phenomenon, especially in the areas where reliable judgements are difficult to obtain. We are yet to expand our analysis of picture nouns, (2), and linear ordering, especially with regard to adjective placement.
The present research proposes a semantic and syntactic analysis of the od-DP. We show that the od-DP conveys the semantics typical of possessive constructions and receives an agent, theme, or possessor interpretation with picture nouns (following Dimitrova-Vulchanova and Giusti 1999). We show that there are at least three surface positions for the od-DP (__>Dem>Num>__>N>__); however, native speaker disagreement has prevented us thus far from elaborating on these claims.
Our findings make an important contribution to the study of colloquial Slovene. Furthermore, they are also relevant for typological studies and for the study of possessor structures in Slavic.
Bibliography:
Cinque, G. 2005. Deriving Greenberg’s Universal 20 and Its Exceptions. Linguistic Inquiry 36 (3):
315−332.
Dimitrova-Vulchanova, N. and G. Giusti. 1999. Possessors in the Bulgarian DP. In Topics in South
Slavic Syntax and Semantics, ed. M. Dimitrova-Vulchanova and L. Hellan, Amsterdam: John
Benjamin’s Publishing Co., 163−193.
Priestly, T. M. S. 1993. Slovene. In The Slavonic Languages, ed. B. Comrie and G. G. Corbett, NY:
Routledge, 388−455.
Toporišič, J. 2000. Slovenska slovnica. Maribor: Obzorja.
1. avto [od Janeza] : obraz [od Janeza] (possession : partitive)
car of John face of John
2. slika [od Janeza] (possessor ~ agent ~ theme)
picture of John
3. tisti trije rdeči svinčniki [od Janeza] (Dem>Num>A>N>od-DP)
those three red pencils of
The data has been checked with two experienced native speaker linguists; however, since our work is still in progress, we intend to enrich our battery of tests and consult a number of informants to better understand the phenomenon, especially in the areas where reliable judgements are difficult to obtain. We are yet to expand our analysis of picture nouns, (2), and linear ordering, especially with regard to adjective placement.
The present research proposes a semantic and syntactic analysis of the od-DP. We show that the od-DP conveys the semantics typical of possessive constructions and receives an agent, theme, or possessor interpretation with picture nouns (following Dimitrova-Vulchanova and Giusti 1999). We show that there are at least three surface positions for the od-DP (__>Dem>Num>__>N>__); however, native speaker disagreement has prevented us thus far from elaborating on these claims.
Our findings make an important contribution to the study of colloquial Slovene. Furthermore, they are also relevant for typological studies and for the study of possessor structures in Slavic.
Bibliography:
Cinque, G. 2005. Deriving Greenberg’s Universal 20 and Its Exceptions. Linguistic Inquiry 36 (3):
315−332.
Dimitrova-Vulchanova, N. and G. Giusti. 1999. Possessors in the Bulgarian DP. In Topics in South
Slavic Syntax and Semantics, ed. M. Dimitrova-Vulchanova and L. Hellan, Amsterdam: John
Benjamin’s Publishing Co., 163−193.
Priestly, T. M. S. 1993. Slovene. In The Slavonic Languages, ed. B. Comrie and G. G. Corbett, NY:
Routledge, 388−455.
Toporišič, J. 2000. Slovenska slovnica. Maribor: Obzorja.